AFC backs Nigeria’s expanded African trade routes

What the report says

The Punch reported that African Finance Corporation President Samaila Zubairu has endorsed Nigeria’s expanded trade links with East and Southern Africa, calling the move supportive of the African Continental Free Trade Area. In an interview with the newspaper, Zubairu said the policy would depend on private-sector uptake, stressing that government action alone would not make the corridor effective.

According to the report, Zubairu encouraged Nigerian firms to use the new market access and seek financing from commercial banks in Nigeria and across the region. He said AFC, which focuses on infrastructure and industrial finance rather than direct trade banking, could assist banks through trade lines if needed. His comments position the corridor as a practical test of whether AfCFTA can translate policy commitments into business activity.

The Punch said the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment recently launched the expanded Nigeria-East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor with RwandAir. The routes include Kigali, Lusaka and Harare, while adding options for exporters sending goods to Nairobi and Johannesburg. The ministry said exporters with an AfCFTA Certificate of Origin from the Nigeria Customs Service would access cargo prices below $2 per kilogramme, down from previous rates reportedly ranging between $3 and $10.

At the June 19 inauguration, Trade Minister Jumoke Oduwole said the corridor was designed to lower costs and widen access for Nigerian exporters. The Punch reported that eight businesses received AfCFTA certificates at the event, and that the earlier corridor, launched in 2025 with Uganda Airlines, recorded a 40 percent rise in export volumes in its first year. The initiative targets sectors including agribusiness, textiles, cosmetics, processed foods and light manufacturing.